TEA touts additional school days program as solution for COVID-19 disruptions in 2020-21

TEA has begun providing information to school districts about using a newly created program that provides half-day funding for up to 30 additional school days for grades pre-K through 5 as a solution for dealing with COVID-19 educational interruptions for the upcoming school year. This program was created in House Bill 3 during the 2019 legislative session, and Education Commissioner Mike Morath has enthusiastically promoted it, including as the focus of his presentation to TCTA members at our winter 2020 annual meeting.

TEA predicts that the 2020-21 school year is “likely to include short-term disruptions to instruction and high student absenteeism” in anticipation of additional waves of COVID-19 infections, and recommends additional days in conjunction with major revisions to the school calendar. TCTA is not aware of a surge of districts planning to make such changes for 2020-21, but teachers should be alert to any such discussions because of the many challenges and the need for strong educator input.
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COVID-19 FAQ focuses on summer and beyond

As summer quickly approaches, we are starting to see state leaders and policymakers pivot toward planning and guidance for the summer and the 2020-21 school year, with potential school closures due to COVID-19 factoring heavily into the planning. With that in mind, we reorganized and added information to our
Future Education Issues, Summer and 2020-21 FAQ. Topics include school calendar options, adding days to the school year, funding, and compensatory/extended year services for special education students. We will continue to update this page and the rest of our
FAQs about COVID-19 as new guidance emerges. Here's what else is new this week:

Keep in mind that our FAQs are not legal advice. Each school district will handle situations differently, so
we strongly encourage members who have specific questions or concerns to call us at 888-879-8282 so we can help. Members also can submit general inquiries through our
Ask-a-Lawyer portal.

State, school leaders concerned about budgets

In a preview of the upcoming state legislative session, which begins Jan. 12, 2021, Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson warned that she would begin her examination of state agency budgets at “zero.” Lawmakers should have a clearer picture of the state’s economic forecast when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar releases a revised revenue estimate this summer, but Nelson said Senate budget writers would likely have to take their customary fiscal restraint “a step further.”

While House Public Education Committee Chair Dan Huberty also expects the state to "tighten its belt," he wrote an opinion piece this week to affirm the state's commitment to public education and said protecting and building on the accomplishments of HB 3 in the last session would be a priority in 2021.

School leaders have also written to Congress to request additional federal funding for schools in the next coronavirus supplemental appropriations bill. TCTA will continue working with state and federal lawmakers to prioritize public education funding and protect the rights and needs of teachers and their students.
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Testing window opens for optional year-end exams

The testing window opened Monday and closes June 12 for the state's optional end-of-year assessments to measure student progress. While STAAR testing was canceled and districts will not be rated for the 2019-20 school year, TEA says these optional exams can help measure student learning and identify areas where they can improve in the coming school year. Click here to read more.

OTHER NEWS

Abbott appoints TCTA member to SBEC board

Gov. Greg Abbott recently appointed TCTA member
Jean Streepey to the State Board for Educator Certification. Streepey is a seventh grade math teacher in Highland Park ISD in Dallas. Abbott also appointed Julia Moore of Pflugerville to the board. SBEC oversees all aspects of the preparation, certification and standards of conduct of public school educators.Streepey and Moore will fill terms on the 15-member board that are set to expire on Feb. 1, 2025. Click here to read more.